Ciao Roma!!

Finally my VPN is working in China so I'm able to catch up on these backdated blog posts.  We went to Italy over 6 months ago so I'm less than thrilled that it's taken me this long to get these up here.  Unfortunately my commentary will have be brief based on the details I can remember...

This was the view outside our window of our hotel.  We stayed in a guesthouse inside an old building in Maggiore Church Square.  I loved where we stayed because it felt like an apartment or something -- it seemed very residential and less hotel-y.

 This is the building our hotel was in, and the square in front of it is Maggiore (church is out of the picture to the right).

Inside the Maggiore church

We were the first of our friends to arrive so we spent Day 1 checking out the Colosseum. 

Then we walked around to check out some other sights, stopping by Mussolini's shrine to himself, or as Jim referred to it, "The Typewriter".

 Here is Chris with the Roman Forum in the background.

Here we are at the Pantheon.

 And arguably the best part of Italy... The coffee!!  1 Euro per cup = beautiful.
 

My favorite from my first Rome visit, Trevi Fountain.

 Spanish Steps.. in the rain

Street action-shot of Chris

We were surprised with how much amazing street art there was in Rome

Pantheon at night

Typewriter at night

Colosseum at night

Chris's friend Jim was living outside of Rome when we visited so we were able to meet up with him

The coffee kept on flowing....

Finally on Sunday, friends starting showing up for the wedding.  Nick arrived and we met him at his hotel and walked around the market near where he was staying (Trastevere).

This is a picture commemorating Nick's very first cup of coffee EVER!  When in Rome...!!! (I had to say it)

 This was our day at the Vatican Museum.

 Including a legitimate mummified body...

 Audio tour!  Yes, please!

 The rooms leading up to the Sistine Chapel were all incredible.  I think we stayed in the Sistine Chapel for about an hour.  The sheer volume of amazing art at Vatican Museum was just staggering.  We were both overwhelmed.  The first time I was in Rome I skipped the Vatican but this time I am so glad I got to not only see it but got to spend so much time inside, savoring it all.

 Here is a much better shot of the Spanish Steps in the sun =)  That was the great part about being there for a whole week -- we could go back again and again to some of the places around town.

Tuesday night Jack organized everyone in town for the wedding to go to a British pub -- here is Lana taking a BJ shot =)  I'm so glad I was able to snap this action shot.

That concluded our Roma times.  The next day we took a day trip to Florence -- separate post to follow, including a post dedicated to the Rieti Wedding Extravaganza.